Where Can I Donate Used Greeting Cards?

Updated on
September 27, 2008

S.A.
asks from
Minneapolis, MN
on September 23, 2008

9
answers

I have all of my son's cards from when he was born and I can't bear the thought of just throwing them out. I've heard of places like nursing homes that sometimes take used cards to make new cards and/or other art projects. Anyone know of a specific place that accepts them?

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More Answers

C.L.

answers from
Minneapolis
on
September 24, 2008

Try a senior citizen center or group or local community center. My grandma (86) donates them to her community center in the western suburbs and senior citizens make them into new cards and sell them. I think it is the Chaska Cmmty. Center.

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K.H.

answers from
Minneapolis
on
September 24, 2008

The Children's Hospital is taking scrapbooking and cardmaking supplies, so call them to see if they take used greeting cards for the children to cut up. Creating Keepsakes Convention in St. Paul during September will be taking donations of paper crafting supplies, you can got to creatingkeepsakes.com/CKU for more info about dropping off. To help out you could cut the backs off before you donate.
K

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A.M.

answers from
Minneapolis
on
September 23, 2008

Hi,
I think you could definitely donate them to any local nursing homes, daycares, or schools. I use all of my old greeting cards as recipe cards. I tear off the front, and then I use the back of that as a recipe card. My mom gave me this idea, and it works really well. Take care!

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D.A.

answers from
Minneapolis
on
September 24, 2008

This isn't the advice you asked for, but I wanted to share. We put all of our son's cards (everything he has gotten since birth) into a cute box I decorated when he was first born. He is now 11 and every once in awhile he will take the box & look at everything. He enjoys seeing who gave him what & all of the attention he got when he was born & at each birthday. Just a thought for you! It doesn't take up much room, we keep it in his closet & just add to it with each occasion.

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P.J.

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N.S.

answers from
Minneapolis
on
September 23, 2008

Are you into scrapbooking? If not, give it a consideration. You'll have many years to come of cards and other keepsakes, and you could put them to creative use in a scrapbook to give to your son when he's grown and starting a family of his own.

My mother-in-law was ahead of her time, and did this very thing, and created scrapbooks for my husband and his brothers.

Now our kids really enjoy looking at the scrapbooks full of many wonderful photos and accompanying greeting card clips and scraps from birthdays to weddings, news paper clips, ticket stubs from movies, and games, even ribbons, and awards tied to the pictures they surround.

Just a thought for yet another way to recycle these cards, but still be able to cherish them

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J.B.

answers from
Minneapolis
on
September 27, 2008

Contact the events coordinator at your local nursing home, or preschool and kindergarten teachers in your area (ECFE, neighborhood school, etc), even the children's ministries coordinators of nearby churches. They are likely to take the cards. Remove the backs, and and identifying info you don't want shared.

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B.B.

answers from
Minneapolis
on
September 25, 2008

I work at a retirement community called Realife Cooperative of Bloomington. My residents recycle greeting cards and sell them as a fund-raiser for our building. If you are ever around the Bloomington area, we would love to take them. We are on the corner of 86th & Nicollet Ave. My phone number is ###-###-####. Our "official" address is 8641 Wentworth Ave. S.